Cabinet Office: Miscellaneous Records

CAB 1

1866-1949

This series is composed largely of miscellaneous papers circulated to ministers for their information and to provide the basis for discussion. They mainly date prior to 1923, but there are a few papers up to 1934.

The remaining papers can be considered to be unique among the Cabinet Office records. They contain a certain amount of original correspondence and minutes, some of which are an accumulation of papers once the property of Sir James Masterton-Smith. In addition there are miscellaneous papers relating to various Cabinet committees. These papers were omitted from the bound committee memoranda volumes that can be found in other CAB series.

Subject volumes cover the special mission to Egypt 1920, the Iron and Steel Bill 1945-1949 and documents on the Commonwealth Relationship 1947-1949.

CAB 1/1 to 30 are arranged chronologically. Later pieces are arranged by subject. Some of the papers of Sir James Masterton-Smith (CAB 1/31-34) bear a haphazard numeration which appears to be of no significance, nor related to any list in existence, and it has therefore been ignored in the present arrangement.

In 1963, at the same time the papers of Sir James Masterton-Smith were found at the Cabinet Office, papers from the same source were transferred to the Chartwell Trust under the reference Chartwell 13/43-45

Public Record(s)

English

46 volume(s)

From 1969 Cabinet Office

Topics

Iron, steel and metals

Middle East

Some of Sir James Masterton-Smith's papers came to light in the Cabinet Office in 1963. The remainder were found there in 1966. These papers were mostly returned to the Cabinet Office by former ministers or their descendants.

No future accruals expected

Sir James Masterton-Smith served in the Private Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, 1911 to 1917 and in the Ministry of Munitions, 1917 to 1918

Microfilm copies of many of these papers up to 1916 are in CAB 37 and CAB 42. Some of the post 1916 material is on microfilm in CAB 24.